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6000-strong telco army to get NBN training

The National Broadband Network Company (NBN Co) is looking for trainers to train up to 6000 telco workers and 12,000 construction workers who will toil on the roll-out of the $37.5 billion project.
Written by Josh Taylor, Contributor

The National Broadband Network Company (NBN Co) is looking for trainers to train up to 6000 telco workers and 12,000 construction workers who will toil on the roll-out of the $37.5 billion project.

NBN Co is seeking expressions of interest from training companies for the training schedule to begin in the second half of 2012, with the full roll-out construction set to commence in 2014.

Telecommunications-specific training is expected to take up to a full two years, with NBN Co seeking training for telecommunications linesworkers, cablers, cable jointers, electrical linesworkers and radio communications technicians. However, construction training for labourers, earthmoving plant operators and road traffic controllers is only expected to take less than three months, NBN Co's head of corporate services Kevin Brown said.

"Around half the workforce will be labourers, earthmoving plant operators and road traffic controllers who will require safety training, construction industry certification, as well as some additional training on the specific tasks to be performed," he said in a statement.

"A further third are likely to be telecommunications lines workers deploying the network in the streets, who may require between four and 24 months training depending on their existing skills, and cablers at the premises who may need between two weeks and 18 months training, depending on their current skills."

Concerns have been raised that due to the skilled labour shortage, and the mining boom, NBN Co may face difficulty recruiting workers for the construction of the network and risking a potential cost blow-out; however, Brown pitched that NBN Co's national scale meant people would not have to move to remote areas of Australia to find work.

"A key difference between the NBN's job requirements and those created by the mining boom is that the work of NBN Co is dispersed right across the country. It will provide real opportunities for local employment."

NBN Co will accept expressions of interest from training providers until 29 July.

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